Diagnosing Urinary Tract Infections

Your doctor will consider the symptoms and do a urinalysis. You'll be asked to give a sample of your urine which will be sent to the lab to check for a bacterial infection. You shouldn't collect the first bit of urine that comes out: it already contains bacteria that are normally found on your skin. Wait until midstream to start collecting the sample.

Prostatitis is identified by examining the rectum to see if the prostate gland is swollen and painful. Samples of urine and of discharge from the urethra are sent to the lab to check for infection.

Recurring UTIs might have an underlying cause, and your urinary tract will need to be checked. Ultrasound, CT scan, cystoscopy, and intravenous pyelogram are tests that provide a visual image of the urinary tract, revealing any structural abnormalities.

Treating and Preventing Urinary Tract Infections

For most UTIs, three days to a week of antibiotics taken by mouth are the best treatment. Your doctor will help decide how long treatment should last. Before beginning any treatment, make sure that you discuss with your doctor any allergies you may have, previous antibiotic use within the last 3 months, and current prescription and non-prescription medications you are taking.

To prevent the infection from returning, it's important to take all of your medication until the end of the prescribed period. Your doctor may also suggest certain medications that relieve pain to help ease the burning that occurs when you urinate.

Very serious infections – such as a severe kidney infection – may require an intravenous drip of antibiotics. Aside from standard antibiotic treatment, children with UTIs may be checked for urinary tract abnormalities.

Treatment for prostatitis often lasts for 4 to 6 weeks. If the infection returns after that, long-term antibiotic therapy may be an option.

In women, recurring UTIs are usually caused by new bacterial infections. Recurrent UTIs are defined as having 3 or more UTIs within one year (or 2 or more in 6 months). In such cases, your doctor may recommend preventative medication to be taken daily or after sexual intercourse. During pregnancy, women are routinely screened for bacteria in their urine. Prompt treatment of UTIs is important. Up to a third of untreated cases lead to kidney infections, which can cause premature labour and low birth-weight babies.

Some strategies for preventing UTIs are:

urinating immediately after intercourse to clear out any bacteria that may have entered

not using the diaphragm as a means for birth control – choose other birth control measures (women with recurring UTIs should also avoid spermicides, which can increase the risk of recurring UTIs)

good toilet habits: women should wipe from front to back, to prevent bacterial spread from the anus

drinking plenty of fluids to flush bacteria out from the bladder

not holding in urine for long periods, as this gives bacteria more opportunity to multiply in the bladder

taking showers rather than tub baths

washing the skin around the vagina and anus daily

not using deodorant sprays or feminine products such as douches in the genital area that could irritate the urethra

While waiting for the antibiotics to take effect, drink plenty of fluids to ease your discomfort, but avoid anything that can irritate the bladder, such as coffee, alcohol, soft drinks with caffeine, citrus juices, and spicy foods, until the infection has cleared.

The contents of this site are for informational purposes only and are meant to be discussed with your physician or other qualified health care professional before being acted on. Never disregard any advice given to you by your doctor or other qualified health care professional. Always seek the advice of a physician or other licensed health care professional regarding any questions you have about your medical condition(s) and treatment(s). This site is not a substitute for medical advice.